Too Young
by clownncar
Summary: Series of Jily oneshots, chronologically from their 6th year in Hogwarts onward!- all character cred goes to queen JK- I take requests and ideas!- all art cred goes to original artists- most of my info is thought up, some facts and stuff are gotten from pottermore and my copies of Fantastic Beasts, QTTA, the books, and other sites- thanks for reading!
1. Hopeless

"Hey, James, do you know what the difference is between a Hodag and a Clabbert is?" Remus asked in his quiet tone, his silver-scarred hands flipping through the pages of his pristine copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._

"Hodag looks a lot more like a pig, I think." James said absentmindedly from his spot on the floor, turning his wand over and over in between his nimble Seeker's fingers. Sirius rolled his eyes, still fingering the red rubber ball in his palm. He bounced it across the floor, against the pillar across from them, and back into his hand.

"A Hodag looks like a cross between a dog and a badger. It walks around on all fours and has big claws." Sirius uncrossed his arms and stood up a little straighter, leaning against the glass panes of the window. He mimed slashing through the air with his fingers curled. "A Clabbert is more like a monkey, lives in trees." He smirked, pointing a thumb down at James, who wasn't even paying attention anymore.

Remus's eyebrow shot up, and he smiled.

"Thank you." There was a brief silence. "..What can you tell me about a Runespoor? I know it's that bloody snake with two heads."

"Three, actually. Ministry calls 'em four x, but I've never even actually seen one, so I dunno how right they are. Each head has a special thing, like the head in the middle does the dreaming or something? Dunno. I do know that it lays eggs in its mouth-" James made a retching sound and pulled a face. Sirius tossed his scarf against James' face and continued. "-and those are super valuable. Used for all sorts of potions and things. Slughorn'd probably chop off his left one for an egg." There was a chortle of laughter as Sirius continued. "The Runespoor itself is poisonous, and that's about all I can think of." He kicked James (who, a moment ago, had been singing "Nerdy Puppy, Nerdy Puppy under his breath), who made a pouty face and poked Sirius in the arse with the tip of his wand.

Sirius nodded his "you're welcome" to Remus and continued tossing his ball in the air, bouncing it against the pillar. It was a relatively quiet afternoon in the fall, most classes in session with the exception of those giving their first sessions of N.E.W.T.s early, such as their Care of Magical Creatures class and a few other classes held for sixth years, like Divination or Astronomy.

"Why are we here again? I thought we were meeting Peter in Honeydukes. Remus, you owe me a Sickle for-" A wolf whistle sounded across the courtyard as a couple seventh years spotted a group of girls walking across the stones. The Marauders grimaced, and James made a face. "Disgusting, the both of them. Idiots. Catcalling them like that." Sirius chuckled softly.

"Aye, Prongs, that was you not too long ago, though. Remember Tabitha Vane, fourth year?" James groaned.

"No, I've done my absolute best to forget. Thanks very much for reminding m-" He stopped mid sentence, his gaze following a couple of the women who had fallen apart from the group. One was a blonde, decked in an odd sort of jumper of all colors, blue jeans spattered with some sort of glitter, paired with a striped Hufflepuff scarf round her neck. Pandora Pepridge was her name, and she was a curious one. Always had some sort of paintbrush stuck through her hair, and her light blue-grey eyes often made her look distracted. She had a pealing laugh, though, and was always kind to everyone. The other had red hair, knotted elegantly, her sweater shades of yellow, green, and brown. Her smile was lovely, laughter bouncing across the yard at the three men. The two sixth years were talking amongst themselves, giggling and shaking their heads. The redhead extended an elegant finger towards the seventh years, earning whoops and hollers from them. Meanwhile, James had undone all the buttons of his shirt and ruffled his hair, untucked the t-shirt from his jeans, and cleaned off his endlessly dirty glasses.

Remus groaned under his breath, rolling his eyes and Sirius grinned, flashing his white canines.

"It's never going to happen, James."

"AH Moony, give the man a break!" Sirius clapped James on the shoulder and winked. "C'mon, mate. Give it another go."

The three sixth years turned to look at the red-headed young woman walking past, her hair done up in braids and her Head Girl badge winking on the strap of her bookbag. The Hufflepuff beside her poked her in the ribs, but she pretended not to notice. James bit his lip and sighed softly before shoving a hand through his dark chocolate waves, making his style immensely worse. Remus groaned inwardly. Lily Evans didn't even glance their way, her pink lips moving slightly as if she was muttering something to the girl next to her as she walked.

"Oi, Lily. _Evans_. EVANS!" Sirius shouted, trying to get her attention, but she kept walking. The blonde, however, waved at them with a smile. "Hullo, Pandora." Remus smiled and Sirius winked at her, making her giggle. The two girls disappeared behind the next pillar, into another section of the castle. James smacked him in the stomach with the back of his hand and Sirius winced slightly, elbowing the dark haired Head Boy. "Man. That's a dead case, Prongs."

"Absolutely hopeless." Remus grinned, never even looking up from his textbook. Students began filling the halls, the sound of chattering, footfalls, and turning pages filling the great halls of Hogwarts as class let out for lunch. Peter met up with the other Marauders, a small smile lighting up his watery eyes.

"Hey you lot, what's we waiting around for? I thought we were meeting at Honeydukes."

"We were, then Prongs' tongue fell out of his mouth when Lily walked by. It took us ages to shove it all down his big mouth again. Plus, we waited for you." Sirius had opened his mouth to speak, but it was Remus who had uttered the sassy comment from behind his book. A huge grin crossed Sirius's face, Peter's quiet squeaking laugh sounding from a couple feet away. He had already started walking. James followed the short blonde with a sour look on his face, his hair still mussed from when he'd stuck his hand through it. Sirius's laughter followed the group all the way down to Hogsmeade.

The sweet shop was filled with students, though not as packed as it usually was. People were studying for upcoming O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, hence the book that had occupied Remus's attention for the majority of the weekend. The four Marauders picked and paid for their sweets, collecting by a fence to sit around some old trees and eat. They talked for a while, mainly about Quidditch. Remus continued trying to study, but eventually put his book down. They spoke until the sun was down on the horizon, then set up to the castle together for dinner.


	2. Shut Up

A ball of wadded up parchment hit Lily in the back of the head, and that was the last straw. She turned furiously to look at the messy haired boy beside her, who gave her a lazy grin and tilted back in his chair, lifting two legs off the ground.  
 _"Some of us are actually trying to work!"_ She hissed angrily, knocking her foot into the leg of the chair so James 'I-Am-So-Great' Potter nearly fell back and cracked his skull on the desk behind him. It'd serve him right. He waved his arms slightly and pushed his body forward, giving himself enough momentum to set the chair back down on all four legs with a loud _clunk._ Professor Binns raised a spectral eyebrow as he looked up and around the room, then went back to his book as if nothing happened. Lily groaned. "Potter, I swear if you don't stop-"

"What are you gonna do to me, Evans? Hm?" There was the playboy smirk. And he was leaning back in his chair. _Again._ And now his arms were raised over his head, showing his lean arms through his shirt. _UGH._ How annoying. Lily pushed her hair over her shoulder and turned back to her work, her quill nearly tearing through the parchment she was pressing so hard.

"Relax, Lily. It's just a bit of parchment." Sirius whispered, loudly enough that you likely couldn't even consider it whispering anymore, from two rows behind her. She felt another ball hit her, this time on the shoulder. She ignored it and continued her work, taking (admittedly, incredibly boring) notes on something about a magical object found in Austria in 1843 by some cranky old pot named Herkes. Pandora Pepridge was on the other side of Lily, sitting at another desk with her boyfriend Xenophilius (Zen for short) Lovegood.

"Lil, don't you think it's even a little funny? I mean, are you really so interested in Alwin Herkes?" She giggled, pushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear before crumpling up her own half finished notes and tossing it at Sirius, nailing him right in the ear. He wheeled around and grinned at her, before grabbing a flat piece and handing it to her. She crumpled it up and stuck it down Zen's shirt, who had still been trying to write. James' chair was now fully on the floor, but he was also not in it; he stood beside the large stack of supplies in the back of the class, using his wand to rapidly create large balls of paper. Sirius chucked a large wad of paper at Marlene McKinnon, who squealed and flung a piece of gum at him. Soon, the entire history class was throwing pieces of parchement, gum, ends of quills, and various other items at each other. Lily had retreated to under the table, now furiously scribbling a letter to Remus Lupin about how much she hated James 'My-Hair-Is-So-Dreamy' Potter and how he was going to have a very select place to put that stupid Snitch of his.

 _"We are bloody sixth years!"_ She muttered to herself, folding the letter and Vanishing it, sending it to his bedside table in the Gryffindor dormitory. Maybe a Howler would have been better to send...

Professor Binns' monotonous voice was heard trying to control the students, but all that earned him was a quill tossed straight through his left arm. He scoffed and strode through a wall, leaving the classroom in chaos. Lily stood up and before she was even straightened up, a piece of parchment hit her in the face. Most of the room went quiet, and everyone was looking at her. She slowly bent down to get the piece of paper, holding it in her hand.

"Who threw that?" Lily's voice was quiet, but angry. Pandora smirked. Lily took out her wand, charmed the piece of paper, and threw it directly at Sirius Black. As the paper flew, it grew heavy with the charm until it hit Sirius square in the nose, leaving his face covered in whipped cream. Everyone was staring, but Lily and Pandora were already flinging bouts of whipped cream through the air, and the class once more erupted into a loud bout of noise and laughter.

A few moments later, the doors to the classroom opened and every student inside was caught in a _Petrificus Totalus._ Professor McGonagall entered the room, her emerald green robes dragging on the floor and her wand in her hand. She stepped over a piece of crumpled paper soaked in cream, the same one that had hit Sirius a minute before. Professor Binns floated in behind her, a look of disgust and surprise crossing his transparent features.

"Which students were the ones to start this?" She asked Binns, attempting to hide the look of amusement trying to cross her own face.

"W-Who do you think?" He sputtered angrily, pointing a ghostly finger at James. He was now suspended in midair after jumping down from the platform holding the chalkboard, which now held a rather crude drawing of Professor Binns slow dancing with Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Another second and he was pointing at Sirius, who was now on the floor next to a load of wadded up parchment, Marlene next to him. McGonagall nodded, shaking her head.

"I should have guessed. Potter, Black, come with me." She unfroze the class with an unspoken spell, and James landed in a heap on the floor. "Where did all this whipped cream come from?"

"Me, Professor." Lily mumbled, stepping forward. There was a streak of it on her chin, and some in her hair. A piece of parchment stuck out of the pocket of her robes.

"Alright Evans, you come along too." This time, McGonagall could not hide the amusement in her eyes as she led the three sixth years, including Head Boy and Head Girl, out of the messy classroom. "You have detention, the three of you. You will be cleaning and organizing Professor Slughorn's potions closet. You will all do as he sees to assign you. That is all." She turned and walked away, and as she turned the corner, Lily heard her laughing.

"Don't say a damn word, Potter." Lily grumbled, her hair tied up messily and the sleeves of her shirt rolled to her elbows as she stuck her hand elbow-deep into a dirty pewter cauldron. James' eyes were alight with glee as he shared a look with Sirius.

"How _noble_ of you to join us hooligans in detention, Evans. We're used to it but you? Man, that was something else." He turned to Sirius, his voice full of delight. "And _man,_ Padfoot, did she get you good! She hit you squa-"

 _"SHUT UP, POTTER!"_


	3. Finally

Pandora giggled, elbowing Lily in the ribs. "You know you want to." She, Lily, Molly Prewett, Alice Harper, and Marlene McKinnon all sat around together under a large tree by the Black Lake, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice for their match in a couple weeks. Lily groaned and wiggled away from her best friend, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"I absolutely refuse!"

"Oh Lily, _come on._ " Marlene smirked, her short dark hair swishing about her face in the slight breeze. The few pieced highlighted with blue were tied up in the half ponytail she wore tied up constantly. "We all know it's true."

"Absolutely not." Lily's face was turning redder, as were the ends of her ears; when she was embarrassed, she blushed with her whole face. Molly laughed.

"Okay fine, I'll do it." She cleared her throat, her bright ginger curls bouncing down her back as she went over to one of the shorter boys on the team, tapped him on the shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek before running back to the group. She was met with laughter and cheers of "lame" and "prat, it was supposed to be on the lips!" Molly rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yeah, well, that was Amos Diggory, so there!" The girls laughed, shaking their heads.

"Okay, okay, my turn. Mmmm, Dora. Truth or dare?" Molly said, turning towards the blonde.

"Truth."

"Is it true you and Zen eloped? Are you really married?" Pandora blushed furiously and, instead of answering, drew a chain from beneath her sweater and showed them all a silvery ring with a teeny pearl on it. They screamed. Quite a bit. Enough to make the captain of the Quidditch team to look over at them. Lily grinned and completed the moment with a punch to her best friend's arm.

"You bitch! You didn't even tell me, your best friend ever?" Pandora shrugged, a happy, dazed look on her face.

"Lil. You were supposed to be there anyway. We can do a party if you want. I'm Pandora Lovegood now, by the way." She giggled and turned to the brunette across from her. "Okay, Alice, truth or dare?"

 _"Wait just a second!"_ Molly protested, and turned back to the blonde. "Sorry, Ally-" Alice shrugged, looking intrigued and slightly relieved the attention was off of her. "-Pandora, tell us! Did you wear a dress, are there pictures, did you shag, what happened?" Alice nodded, and all the girls huddled closer against the wind as Pandora started talking, using her wand to create little figures of mist to show them what had happened. The girls oohed and aahed at the scene, and Lily wiped away a stray tear.

"Okay, that was sweet and all, but I'd love to keep playing. This pansy hasn't picked truth or dare yet." Marlene pouted, pointing a thumb at the girl next to her.

Alice licked her lips, her curly brown hair poking out from its braid.

"Uh, I pick truth."

"Hm, okay. Would you ever screw a professor? And which one?" She blushed and Lily snorted loudly, staring at Pandora. There was a moment of silence, the girls all watching the fifth year. Alice's face was scarlet as she mumbled her answer, and Marlene squealed with laughter. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, Alice, we didn't-"

"MCGONAGALL." Alice said loudly, then proceeded to pull her knit beanie down over her eyes. Marlene was laying on the grass giggling to herself, and Molly's hand had flown to her mouth, her lips in an O shape. Lily was blinking her dark green eyes, trying to process _McGonagall_ and _Alice_ and _Professor?_ all together in the same sentence. Pandora, however, squealed with laughter and grinned.

"Yeah, me too."

Suddenly, all the girls were talking about Professor Minerva McGonagall and her long brown hair and her kind face and round glasses and the fact that _Dumbledore_ was _gay_ and Lily had heard a rumor that he and Gellert Grindlewald, the most dangerous wizard of all time, had once upon a time been _more than friends,_ perhaps.

"Didn't he date that Flamey dude too, Nicolas or something?" Molly asked, a ginger eyebrow arched high.

"I think that was just a rumor, Molly."

"No, Dora, I think she's right-" Alice interjected, laying her hands in her lap. "Flamel was just another student who went here, but so was Dumbledore at the time, right? And he has every book Flamel wrote, even if it's just one or two. Maybe they're like, old lovers or something."

"Ew. I wouldn't want to imagine that. But thanks so much for that image." Marlene said, pulling a wretched face. "Let's stop this, I am sick of imagining my ancient Defense Against the Dark Arts professor shagging _anyone_. Who's turn was it?"

"Well Alice just went, so I suppose it's me now, since Molly took my turn." Lily said, pushing the hair that had fallen into her face up under her cap. Alice smirked widely, making Lily's eyes go wide.

"Truth or dare?"

"I-I- dare-" Lily bit her lip and winced, knowing that was probably the wrong choice. A huge, mischievous grin lit up the fifth year's face.

 _"I dare you to go snog James Potter on the lips. Right here, right now."_ The other girls laughed, patting Alice on the shoulder. Lily blushed, her ears and face turning scarlet. "And you know you can't back out."

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She grimaced and wrinkled her nose before standing up, stomping off to the edge of the pitch. The group of girls stood up and followed her, laughing and whispering. Lily stood with her arms crossed as Quidditch player number three, his hair ever messy and his face lit by that ever present smirk, landed in front of her. He pushed his goggles into his hair so he could see, hazel eyes meeting hers.

"Afternoon, Evans. Drop by to see a little action before the match in a fortnight? We're going to cream the Huffs. No offense to Pandora, of course." He nodded at the gaggle of girls behind Lily, and they gave out a collective giggle. James arched a brow. "And what's got that lot all worked u-"

Lily snatched the front of his robes and yanked, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his firmly. It quite effectively shut him up, and she made a mental note. For future reference. If there were a future. Which there wasn't. It was just a dumb kiss.

A really, really _good_ (dumb!) kiss. His lips were chapped and smooth at the same time, like his hand was as it tangled in the hair at the back of her neck. Lily tilted her head slightly, noting the fact that he tasted a bit like chocolate before she pulled away. A shocked, pleased sort of look crossed James face and he grinned at her, ignoring the whoops of Sirius in the stands. She licked her lips and turned around, hurrying off before James Potter could open his mouth to speak.


	4. Accidents

"Oh shut _up,_ Potter, I am NOT your girlfriend! It was _one kiss!"_

"Ah, and a brilliant kiss at that, lovely Lilykins. I knew one day you'd admit to yourself that you fancied me." He was right, she did. But no way was she going to tell him that.

"I'm going to knock you off that bloody broom."

He was hovering about 2 feet off the ground, all the other players already in flight.

"Can't I have a kiss for luck before I play? Isn't that what always happens? Ah, I might throw the game otherwise, not catching the Snitch because I'm mesmerized b-"

" _Potter_!" Amos Diggory, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, had flown down and was hovering a foot or so away from the pair. "Get your arse in the air, the match is about to start!" James shot a wink at Lily and flew off behind Amos, Madam Hooch blowing the whistle to begin the match. Her strawberry blonde hair was in an elegant braided knot atop her head, and her bright, freckled young face was accompanied by the large Quidditch goggles concealing 60 percent of her forehead. She sat back on her broom and hovered in the air, watching the match for any fouls or misconduct.

Lily went up the wooden steps and took her place between Alice and Marlene, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"He said I was his bloody girlfriend! What a prat! The stupid snog was a fortnight ago anyway!" The raven-haired Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw exchanged a look and shook their heads. "What. What? Marlene. _Alice. What?!"_ They simply turned to watch the game, and Lily groaned, making a face at each of them before grudgingly turning her eyes onto the pitch. She sighed, watching the seeker fly around above the other players. Then the Quaffle was in possesion of Pandora, who was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff team. Lily shot up, as did Marlene and Alice. Molly was off snogging Jensen Thomas somewhere, who was her very recent boyfriend. Pandora ducked under one of the Gryffindor players and hugged the Quaffle tight to her chest; she was one of the very first women on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and she always felt like she had to prove herself. She tossed the Quaffle to one of her teammates and did a 180 degree turn on her broom, ducked under a Bludger, and raised her arms for the ball. The other Chaser threw it to her and knocked a Gryffindor player out of the way, and Pandora flung the Quaffle through the goalpost, the ball brushing the fingers of the Gryffindor keeper. Pandora lifted a closed fist above her head in a cheer, her silvery-blonde waves escaping from the bun she'd tried to contain them in. She dodged a Bludger and flew back, the game already continuing. The score was fairly even after a hour of gameplay, and it was becoming mundane. Suddenly, James Potter was diving towards the ground as fast as the broom could carry him. Lily once again shot out of her seat, leaning half out of the stand, her knuckles white against the gold and scarlet banner.

 _"Come on, Potter!"_ She didn't even realize her mouth had been open, but it was certainly her voice. He didn't seem to hear her, though, and weaved in and out of the stands. His arm was outstreched and the Hufflepuff Seeker was close behind him, and _BAM._ Potter was falling, _falling_ , and crashed into the ground. Someone screamed, and Lily would later realize it had been her. Her feet were carrying her out of the stadium and down on the pitch before she even knew what was going on, ignoring shouts of her professors. Lily slipped on the damp grass and cut her leg, gasping in pain. It was something hard and sharp- a piece of the front of James' broom. She scrambled to her feet and joined Madam Hooch, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey, with the Gryffindor Seeker splayed on the ground. His eyes were closed. The rest of the Marauders were standing by, Sirius muttering quietly to Peter. He giggled.

Amos Diggory came over and looked down at his fallen player. One of the Hufflepuff Beaters, as well as Pandora, stood with him.

"I-It was an accident- all I did was hit the Bludger out of her way- I didn't even know h-he'd seen the Snitch-" Amos waved his hand, and the other player fell silent.

"Is he going to be alright, Professor?"

"He's fine. Most likely just a fractured wrist and a couple broken fingers from when he had his hand out to break his fall. He's also got a cut on his head that I want to monitor. A couple of nights with me and a bottle of Skele-grow, he'll be able to be at your practice in a fortnight. Skip next week, Potter." It was Madam Pomfrey who spoke up. She stood, dusting off her maroon robes. James groaned, blinking his eyes open.

"We won." He lifted his other hand and in it was clasped the tiny winged ball. Amos groaned and tossed his goggles in the air, laughing loudly. McGonagall had a difficult time containing her glee.

"James Potter has caught the Snitch. Gryffindor wins, 360 to 340." Pandora looked irritated, but she met Lily's gaze and nodded; she was glad James wasn't hurt badly. The other Hufflepuff looked relieved as she led him away, his bat still grasped limply by his side.

"Evans?" Lily looked down, her dark brows knitted with worry.

"James- how-"

"You do fancy me. I told you."

Lily blinked and scoffed, her face glazing over with anger.

"YOU STUPID PRAT. Are you bloody joking! You could have been seriously hurt! I thought you were-"

"Dead? Ah. Did you worry?"

"Shut up, Potter." She blushed furiously, turning to walk back to her friends, who were now in the middle of the pitch waiting for her as the crowds went back up to the castle. Madam Hooch was on her way back with a bandage.

"Hey, what happened to your leg?" There was no trace of joking now, his voice concerned. "Lily?" The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine, and she turned back to look at him. Now that the worry for him was gone, the long cut on her calf was starting to throb. It ached.

"I tripped on your stupid broom."

"Oh." James sounded genuinely upset. "Can I see?" He was sitting upright now, Madam Pomfrey fussing with the cut on his head. Lily sat down next to him, not really caring if her jeans got dirty. They were already ripped. She stuck out her leg for him to see, and sucked in her breath slightly- she wasn't expecting his fingers to be so cold. They danced around the cut, and then there was a sharp pain.

 _"Ouch._ Potter-!" Lily turned around to snap at him, and he held up a long sliver of wood, covered in her blood.

"Does it hurt less now?" His hazel eyes met hers, and she blushed faintly. In fact, it _did_ hurt less. She nodded, and he smiled at her. It made her heart skip a beat or two. Lily looked away, smiling to herself. Maybe James Potter was alright.


	5. Concentrate

"Today, we will be learning about the most powerful love potion we can create. Amortentia." As Slughorn went on to talk to the Advanced Potions class about love and how the potion worked, James scribbled in the margins of his parchment. Lily was taking avid notes, but she had already learned some of this in her private sessions with Slughorn. She very much enjoyed Potions, and liked brewing in her free time. As Slughorn gave the okay for the students to start brewing, Lily lifted her head to look around the room.

Remus Lupin and Pandora Lovegood sat at the table next to James and Lily, and they were talking quietly. They always worked well together. Peter Pettigrew and Alice Harper were at the table in front of them, and Alice was showing Peter how to slice the plants correctly without damage to the ingredient. Lily stood and stretched, going to get the ingredients she and Potter needed. Why on Earth she was paired with him, she didn't know. Severus met up with her at the ingredients table.

"Why the bloody hell did you ask to be with Potter? I thought you hated him." His voice was cold and angry, like he was mad at her. Which made her angry.

"I didn't ask for that, Sev. Now we need to work, excuse me." She leaned over his arm and grabbed the last ingredient off the table before going back to brew with James. He scowled as she walked away. Slughorn finished his instruction and waved his wand, and cauldrons appeared on each table. Lily laid the ingredients on the table and looked at James. His hair was messy, and he looked like he didn't get any sleep.

"You'd best be ready to do this, Potter, because if you do something and mess up my grade I'll break your nose." He just grinned at her.

"You got it. I'm awake and ready. Hand me that root."

She did, and together they set to making the potion. After a while, the cauldron was bubbling with a soft pink liquid, but it had no smells yet. That was unusual. Lily knew exactly what she was doing, and frequently checked the book.

 _"NO,_ James _._ I didn't _'make a mistake.'"_ Lily snapped, smacking his hand away from the cauldron.

"You had to have. I don't smell a thing."

"I did everything right! Did you tamper with something?"

"Absolutely not. Maybe I could smell something if your stupid hair wasn't choking me with all the vanilla conditioner you use."

"Oh really? Well maybe if you hadn't sprayed so much bloody _cologne_ this morning I'd be able to breathe and think about what went wrong! Prat."

Their bickering had quieted the rest of the classroom, and Slughorn was hiding a smile. Remus and Pandora had obvious glee on their faces. Pandora had taken the last of Lily's vanilla conditioner, and Remus knew Sirius had used the end of James' cologne last week and hadn't replaced it yet.

Their bickering grew louder and covered the sound of a small glass beaker breaking in the back of the class, Serverus Snape's face pale and distraught. Broken glass surrounded his feet, and he repaired the beaker with a quick _reparo._

Slughorn cleared his throat and waved his wand; every cauldron cleared out and the unused items appeared back on the desk at the front.

"Alright, students. Good work today, good work. I'll see you all next week for some learning on the Draught of Living Death. Have a good weekend." Slughorn called from behind his desk, his own cauldron steaming on the corner.

As the class filtered out, Severus caught Lily by the upper arm. James brandished behind her angrily, but Remus caught him by the shoulder and held him in place.

"Just wait and see how it plays out, Prongs. Don't react yet. She's already mad at you." James grit his teeth and sat back on his heels, his hands in fists. Snape pulled Lily to the side of the door, and she looked furious.

"Don't let Potter control your grades. He's a pompous prat and he-" Lily yanked her arm out of his grip coolly. His face went angry, then a mask of cold. He moved closer to her. James tensed up on the other side of the room, but held his own.

"Don't tell me what to do, Severus. I can very well take care of myself. I'll see you later." She stepped aside, letting him pass. Her voice told him it was not an option. He made a sour face and walked past her, his hair hanging in his face as it usually was. Remus let go of James, and he walked over to her. "Go away, Potter." Remus passed both of them and walked out the door, sighing. He didn't want to stick around for that fight. James stood in the doorway, looking at the redhead.

"Did he hurt you? Are-"

"Get out of my way, Potter." Lily pushed his shoulder and slung her bag over her arm, shrugging her way out the door.

"Lily, _wait_." His voice was quiet. She turned around, irritated and angry. She had another class to get to and he knew that.

"What the _bloody hell_ d-" James cut off her words with a kiss, and he was gentle. Not like his relentless teasing; not like his quick, aggressive Quidditch playing; not like his joking and laughing with his friends; not showing off for fourth year girls because they'd do his homework. He was gentle with Lily, soft. Kind. He pushed his hand through her hair hesitantly, as if waiting for her reaction. She gave in, dropping her bag on the floor and pushing a hand through the back of his hair, curling her fingers in it. He gasped softly, and she very gently bit at his lower lip before pulling away.

"Evans, I-" He was _blushing._

"Be my boyfriend." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she didn't really want to. James blinked, his head tilting a little to the side, like it always did when he was really confused.

"Okay."

"Okay. Good. Right then." Lily gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing her bag off the floor and walking away, a grin slowly tugging at the corners of her lips as she walked toward Charms.


	6. Horseplay

Lily's dark red hair flew around her shoulders, her cap falling into the sludge on the ground.

"Let go of me."

"No, you have to listen to m-"

"Stop it. I said let go."

"Lily, ple-"

 _"I said let go of me, Severus!"_ Lily yanked out of his grip, drawing her wand. Her face was angry, scared. She would hex him into next week and he knew it. Severus looked startled, and a dark shadow crossed his face. He bit his lip, glancing over her shoulder in the distance. James was standing there, looking furious. Sirius had a hand on his arm, likely to prevent him from coming over and beating Snape to a bloody mark on the dirt.

"You should have listened to me, Lily."

"Which time? The time you called me a bitch, or when you said my boyfriend was a daffy git? Or perhaps when you said I was manky. Severus, you're a prat. You get off on hurting other people, and it's not alright. You've gone dark, Sev, and I don't know when or why, but you're not the friend I used to have."

Snape turned and walked away, shaking in anger.

 _Earlier that day, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and herself had all been taking a stroll through the courtyards, enjoying as the weather cooled off in the late fall. They were all joking around good-naturedly, and James had said something rather rude about Severus. Lily had pounced on him then, grabbing a handful of his hair and tugging lightly._

 _"Don't talk like that about him, he's really a good man." She had said. She didn't know how wrong she was. James had apologized then, sincerely. He then picked Lily up and swung her around, making her squeal with laughter. Sirius had picked up Remus in the same manner, which was rather a delight to see, as he was about a foot shorter than the sandy haired man. Remus laughed, wriggling his way out of Sirius's arms, and Peter cheered them on. James put Lily down then, both of them breathless, faces flushed. She smiled at him, and he quickly dropped her as though in a dance, and kissed her on the lips gently. Sirius cheered, and Peter stomped on his foot for ruining the moment._

Lily bit her lip and slumped against the wall, her fingers trembling. James was by her side in an instant, untying her scarf, murmuring for her to sit down and talk to him. She slid down the wall and sat on the stone ground, looking at him with a blank expression. The only thing she could bring herself to say was "..we used to be friends." James wrapped an arm around her, pressing his lips together in worry. He wasn't really sure how to comfort her, as she had never really talked about Snape before. Briefly explained how they had known each other, sure, but never gone in depth with him about their friendship. He rubbed her upper arm gently with his thumb, glancing at the other Marauders, who had come and sat down across from the couple.

"Lily, did he hurt you? Let me see your arm." He gently pushed up her sleeve and sucked in his breath; Snape's little temper tantrum had left finger-shaped bruises on Lily's wrist. There were nail marks, too, shaped like crescent moons. She didn't seem to care all that much.

"He was my friend." Her voice was upset, angry. "We were friends before we even got our letters. He told me I was a witch. We used to lay on the hill by my house and talk. He was nice back then. He's selfish now, and dark. Darker than he was when I met him. He doesn't care about me now that I have you. Now that I'm not _available_ to him. I never was. But I at least thought he was my friend. Like-" Lily struggled to find the words in her anger. "Like my sex appeal wasn't the only thing that mattered." There was poison in her voice, and across from them, the other Marauders looked sympathetic. Sirius looked angry. James carefully pulled Lily into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She hugged his arms around her, burying her face in them. "I cared about him. And he hurt me." Her eyes watered, and she blinked tears away. "I'm so _angry."_

 _After they broke apart, Sirius grinned._

 _"Right, just for that finally happening, I'm buying us all a round of butterbeer. Come on you lot, let's go. C'mon, Peter."_

 _Sirius led the way to the Three Broomsticks, followed by James, carrying Lily on his back, and Peter and Remus bringing up the rear, talking amongst themselves about a new book Bathilda Bagshot had released recently. The group walked into the warm tavern, the cold shutting out as the door closed behind them. They took places at their favorite booth in the corner underneath the stairs as Sirius and Remus went up to the bartender and ordered their drinks and a plate of chips for them to share. Lily and James took one side, and Peter sat at the other after pulling up a cushy beanbag type chair for Remus, Sirius having claimed the fourth spot in the booth. The two boys brought back the drinks and food, and Lily quickly snatched up a chip and shoved it into her mouth, groaning as it burned her cheeks. James laughed at her, shaking his head, and handed her the butterbeer. She chugged it and shivered, even though the drink was warm as well. The group shared their drink and food, telling stories and such long through the afternoon, until Saun the bartender told them to quit hogging his booth and get back to class. Everyone left happy and full of food, buzzing quietly on their way back to the castle. Lily had stopped James a little ways up the hill, murmuring that she'd be right back and not to wait before quickly walking off to the side, kneeling down towards a dark haired man in a robe. James frowned, thinking it odd, and stopped the group to wait for her. The Slytherin scarf round his neck flashed, and James' uneasiness grew. He shook his head, waiting._

Lily sighed and pulled away from James after a while, taking her hat from Peter with a small smile. He'd taken it out of the sludge for her and cleaned it off. She stood, taking James's hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Can we go play some chess, Remus?" Her voice was soft, but there was an edge that warned them not to talk about it. He nodded, and the small group returned to the castle together, disappearing behind the dark stone walls.


	7. Three Feet

James had his feet completely on the ground, both his shoes flat against the grass, yet she still was holding him tight enough around the waist that it was sort of difficult to breathe.

"Er, Lily, we haven't even moved yet."

"TELL MY MUM I LOVE HER. TELL TUNEY I ALWAYS WANTED HER TO BE HERE."

"Lily, really, you're being dramatic."

"TELL MY PAPA THAT HE DESERVES TO ENJOY HIS DAYS OFF WORK. TELL-"

"Love, we're in the air."

Lily squeaked and opened her eyes, then shut them again and buried her face in between James's shoulderblades. He laughed quietly, shaking his head, and very gently urged the broom forward. They started to fly, inching forward ever so slowly. For James, this was equal to taking a step every half hour; for Lily, it was like sitting on top of the Hogwarts express.

"POTTER I'M GOING TO DIE. MERLIN'S BEARD WHAT A WRETCHED CHOICE I'M SO BLOODY STUPID."

"Would you relax, woman?"

"I CAN'T RELAX, I'M ABOUT TO _DIE_."

"We aren't even three feet off the ground!"

Lily peeked open her eyes, biting her lip so hard it nearly drew blood. Her nails tightened on James's hips, and he winced slightly. They started to slowly glide, and her fingers relaxed slightly as they picked up some speed. Her hair started to gently flow back from her eyes, the bright green grass of the Quidditch pitch nearly identical to her irises. James grinned and sped up some more, and Lily began to laugh, her face full of glee.

"This is amazing! You do this all the time?" She laughed loudly, letting the wind take her hair and whip it around her face, running like deep scarlet waves in an ocean.

"Well, I free fly as much as I can. I fly at night a lot to clear my head." James admitted, but he had a feeling that she wasn't really listening. They flew higher, twisting among the towers of Hogwarts and brushing over the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. They passed the Astronomy Tower, and Lily laughed as she reached out a hand to touch the top.

"This is incredible."

A soft kiss was placed on the back of his neck, and James blushed.

"You're welcome."

They flew around a corner, headed toward the ground, and nearly collided with a group of owls carrying letters to the Great Hall.

" _Shit_!" James ducked and pulled the handle up, and the broom spun. They lurched forward, and James gripped the handle, trying to control the broom, but it swung. The few owls flew off, hooting frustratedly. Lily screamed, and they flew off into the grass below. James landed hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He groaned and moved his arm, coughing.

"Lily? Lily, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but I bloody told you so!"

A blow struck James in the leg and he grunted in pain, coughing. Lily's closed fist had come in contact with a recent bruise.

"Bloody hell, woman!" She laid down next to him, looking down at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, you did just _sucker punch_ me in the bloody leg, I think not."

"I mean, did you get hurt when we fell?"

"No, I'm alright."

"Are you sure? It looks like you have a fat lip." He reached up and gently touched his lip; there was nothing there.

"Lil, there's-"

"Perhaps if I kissed it all better."

James was saved from having to respond by a pair of soft, mint-flavoured lips on his. Her gum had fallen from her mouth when they toppled off the broom. Either that, or she'd swallowed it. He reached up and laced his hands in her hair, the soft strands running through his calloused fingers. She shivered and leaned against his chest, pushing her own hand to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Lily gently bit down on his lower lip, and James groaned softly against her lips. He parted his lips for her, and they laid in the grass, kissing for a while. She pulled away to breathe, cheeks flushed slightly. James lifted his hands to cup her face and smiled, staring at her.

"You are so incredible."

His voice was quiet, a strange sort of tone to it. Reserved, shy almost.

"James, are you okay?" He nodded, playing with the baby hairs at the nape of her neck. She wrinkled her nose and tilted her head to the side as his touch tickled her, and he chuckled softly.

"I'm brilliant." James propped himself up on his elbow and kissed her again, rougher this time. His lips were firm on hers, the heat of her arms wrapping around his neck and her body pushed up against his; it made him dizzy. He pulled her into his lap and she giggled against his mouth, their lips moving together like leaves in the wind. They kissed harder, lips parting and tongues tangling, hands tangling in hair and gripping t-shirts. He gasped on her lips and pulled away slightly, and he felt her breath ghost over his face as she caught her breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Lily pulled away, her face pale with shock. She blinked a couple times, and James bit his lip. Maybe he had gone too far. Maybe it was the kissing. Maybe he was just an idiot. "I- I'm sorry Lil. I- Sorry. I shouldn't h-" She shushed him and kissed him hard, her eyes closed tightly and a crease forming between her brows.

"Don't be stupid, Potter." He frowned, arching an eyebrow. Before he could ask a question, she laughed softly. "Merlin, what am I doing?"

"Is that a question for me? Because I may not be Merlin, but-"

"I swear, Potter, if you finish that joke I'm leaving you." James whined softly.

"But it's a brilliant joke!" She laughed, and James smiled; it was worth teasing her a little bit just to be able to hear that laugh.

She leaned closer to him, and Lily's lips brushed against his ever so slightly.

"Potter?"

"Yes, Evans?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you too. Merlin's beard."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him and kissing her as hard as he could.


	8. Enchanting

\- NSFW warning for this chapter- THERE IS SEX. If you don't want to read it, simply skip it! ️ -

Molly grinned, fixing her golden dress. It was floor length, long slim sleeves hugging her wrists.

"Oh, Lily. You look incredible."

"Yeah, James is sure to either pass out or cry." Marlene remarked, smirking widely. Lily rolled her eyes as she stepped off the last stair to the girl's dormitory. All the boys had cleared out, and it was Lily, Molly, Marlene, and they had let in Alice from the Ravenclaw tower, Pandora already downstairs with her Hufflepuff group and her husband, Xenophilius. Though they were best friends, Lily and Pandora had already spent the last few hours together in the Hufflepuff common room, fixing each other's makeup and doing up the other's hair.

Lily was dressed in a midnight blue gown, a strand of pearls adorning her sideswept dark red hair. Marlene was wearing a beautiful silk red gown with a slit in the thigh, showing off her lovely legs, her long black hair tied up out of her face in a simple braid down her back. Molly had her ginger waves tied up in a knot, her gold gown shimmering as she moved. And finally, Alice had a gorgeous ivory gown, the tulle in the skirt making her look like a princess. Her brown hair was in curls, looping gracefully around her face. After the finishing touches on their looks, the girls went downstairs and met up with Pandora. Her own short, blonde hair was straight, but it suited her look- a bright yellow dress, cut off at the knees. She waved, and Lily waved back.

Marlene ran off to dance with Alice, as she had finally gotten up the courage to ask Mar out by inviting her to the ball. They were quite the item. Molly looked around for Arthur Weasley, who had agreed to go with her as friends, and Lily kept an eye out for the Marauders. It was Sirius she spotted first, chatting up a shy 6th year. Lily rolled her eyes and walked up to them, apologized for Sirius, and dragged him away from the girl, who was laughing.

"Yes, Black, she was totally into you, whatever, blah blah blah. Where is Potter?" Sirius smirked, looking over her head. She turned around, and her eyebrows shot up.

" _Woah."_

James was wearing a black suit with a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up and undone, showing off his strong Quidditch-playing hands. She and James had both spoken at the same time, which made Peter smile.

"That was cute." He remarked, then went off to find drinks somewhere. Remus smiled at Lily and complimented her dress, and Sirius chuckled and winked at James. The rest of the witches and wizards in the hallway started to make their way into the Great Hall as the music begun to play, but Lily and James stayed where they were, just kind of staring.

"You look-"

" _Yes_ , and you-"

"Yeah I-"

They both chuckled nervously, and James's hand flew to the back of his neck, playing with his hair. Lily rolled her eyes and stepped forward, kissing him gently. They stood and made out for a few minutes, holding onto each other. Finally James pulled away and smiled at her, offering his arm.

"Care to dance, princess?"

She took his arm and let him lead her inside.

The music played loudly, and Lily stepped back from James, a thin line of sweat on her hairline. They'd been dancing for almost two hours; slow songs, fast songs, weird songs. It didn't even matter, they were just having fun. Little did they know, not even 20 years in the future, another Yule Ball would be held. Another beautiful witch in a blue dress would be dancing right where Lily and James were. Their son would be sitting there with his best friend where Sirius and Remus sat just now, watching them dance. James leaned down to whisper in her ear, and she grinned, nodding. She winked at Sirius, who raised a brow, and let James whisk her out into the corridor, leading her into a vacant hallway deep in the castle.

They began to kiss, eyes closed, nothing around them except for the flicker of light from the torches lighting the hall and the whisper of wind blowing outside the castle walls. Lily closed her eyes, and let James take over her reality. He pulled away to trail light kisses down Lily's neck, ghosting his lips over her jaw and skin. She gasped, biting her lower lip, and her head tilted back until it gently _thunked_ against the stone wall. James smirked at her, his rectangular glasses slightly askew. Though it had been fairly tame before, the dancing and Lily's hands had made his hair as wild as ever. He groaned softly, his breathing slightly irregular.

"Lil, w- Lily, seriously, are you sure?"

"God, would you just please shut _up?"_ Lily rolled her eyes and grabbed his face, kissing him furiously again. Their lips smashed together, little gasps huffing into each other's mouths and quiet whimpers falling from their lips. Lily bit down softly on James's lower lip, and he gave a soft growl under his breath and pulled away from her, trailing his warm lips down her neck. She tilted her head back again, letting her eyes flutter closed. He held her jaw with one hand, tilting her head back, his other hand tugging very lightly at her waist. Each little moan that fell from her lips was just more encouragement for him, and James kept his lips attached to her neck, sucking and nibbling where he could, leaving little love bites that were sure to show up darker tomorrow. He pulled away and as she whined in protest, he looped his arm underneath her knees and quite literally swept her off of her feet, holding her in his arms.

"Shall we head somewhere a little more private than this corridor, my dear?" James whispered in her ear, his warm breath trickling down her neck. Lily shivered and nodded quickly, but he was already walking. "I do think you'll enjoy this place, it's quite lovely. Not near as lovely as Sirius, of course, but still. A contenda." Lily's laughter pealed across the hallway, and it made James's heart flutter. He gently set her down in front of the large tapestry, then walked past her once.

"Erm, James... If you really wanted to, you know, make me no longer interested-"

"Oh, shut it, Lil." He paced past her again.

"James, really, Barnabas the Barmy is great to have a laugh about but-" The tapestry made a face at her as James crossed in front of her a third time. "Potter, what the bl-" Before the words could leave her mouth, the tapestry shimmered and a door appeared in it's place. A grin spread across the teen's face and he grabbed Lily's hand, pulling her into the room. "What in the bloody hell-?"

The room was lit with candles, and the aroma of wildflowers and honey filled the air. The candlelight flickered across the walls, and a bed with silky-looking sheets and a large, thick, maroon blanket was in the back corner of the room. There was a bookshelf lining the wall opposite the bed, and a big throw rug separated them. It wasn't very big, but it was cozy.

"James, what _is_ this place?"

"It's called the Room of Requirement. You walk in front of the doors 3 times and think about what you need, and it presents itself to you however you need." She opened her mouth to ask a question, but he was already answering. "And I asked for the perfect place to keep you safe tonight, with me." He looked at her, peering thoughtfully through those rectangle glasses, his hazel eyes sparkling. The candlelight reflected across his face, and Lily thought he had never looked more beautiful. She smiled and leaned forward, kissing him fully. James kissed her back, wrapping his strong arms around her body, gently picking her up and carrying her to the bed, softly setting her down. Lily smiled up at him, her eyes shining, face flushed, and red hair curled around her on the bed. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time with more vigor. "Are you sure you're ready?" She nodded, and James kissed her hard before kissing down her neck, slowly unzipping her dress as he kissed her collarbone. She shivered at the slight coolness, and he gently slid the dress down her body, his rough hands trailing down her soft, warm skin. Lily smiled softly, blushing in the candlelight.

"Do you still think I'm beautiful?"

James looked up at her and cupped her face gently in his hands, kissing her very softly.

"Lily Omaria Evans, I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. Including my mother, and that woman's a stunner." They both laughed, and she slid the rest of the way out of her dress, letting it pool on the ground beside the bed. James had unbuttoned his shirt and he let Lily push it off his shoulders, her hands trailing down his chest and abdomen. He smiled and began kissing down her stomach, his own hands laying themselves over her breasts, moving over her ribs, across her chest. He continued to kiss her stomach, down to her panty line, his lips lingering over her thighs. His breath ghosted over her, and she shivered.

"James, please."

He complied, using his teeth to gently pull her panties off, and Lily licked her lips, her back arching slightly. As soon as his tongue touched her, she gasped; she'd imagined it sure, but never thought it would feel like this. She wasn't a virgin, but she had never had it this good before, either.

"Fuck." she whispered under her breath, and she knew James was smirking, knowing he was making her squirm under his mouth. She tangled her hands in his hair and he groaned softly, gently going more and more vigorously with her. Lily moaned and whimpered, tugging at his hair harder whenever he did something right. As heat was pooling in her core, she gasped as she felt cool air hit her all over; James had pulled away. She whined in protest, nearly reaching a hand down to continue what he started, but noticed him unbuckling his belt. She smirked and sat up, inching backwards on the bed, leaving him more room. As soon as his pants were off, Lily laid back for him, and James slowly laid over her, his arms supporting him. "You look great, you know. All the Quidditch." He rolled his eyes at her remark and kissed her hard, lowering himself down over her. He very gently positioned himself properly and bit his lip, looking at her, his hazel eyes holding a strange look. "What is it, James?"

"I'm not- I'm still-" He flushed, and Lily realized what he was trying to tell her. She nodded and kissed him, looking up at him.

"It's alright. I trust you, alright?"

He nodded and leaned into her, very gently thrusting his hips against hers. Lily gasped loudly, her breath catching in the base of her throat.

"Are you okay?" James asked nervously, and she nodded quickly. The pool of heat was back almost immediately, lust travelling up her spine. She closed her eyes and let James get comfortable. Her hands went up to his shoulders, and she pulled him closer to her. He thrust again, and Lily moaned, biting her lower lip. For a virgin, he was brilliant. She twisted her hips and whimpered with pleasure as James continued his movements, and she could feel the muscles in his shoulders moving underneath her fingers. She gently dug them into his back, and he moaned in response, going a little faster with his movements. Lily gasped, and their moans started to tangle together. James leaned forward and placed his head in the crook of her neck, leaving hot kisses against her skin. They were both sweating and gasping for air, and James's arms were beginning to shake. The heat was so intense Lily thought she was about to burst when James whimpered and came, Lily following very closely.

"Fuck-" She gasped, and he moved off of her and laid down beside her, panting. They laid there together for a moment, their fingers tangled together. James pulled the sheet up around her, his hand resting on her lower back and one in her hair, and they fell asleep like that, and they both slept better than they had in a long time.


	9. Change

It was a chilly December day at Hogwarts, and Lily was inside the library reading one of her favorite books, _Tales of Beetle the Bard._ An owl fluttered down next to her, and Lily looked up from her book. She stroked its feathers for a few moments before gently taking the letter it held for her from its beak; it was beginning to get quite close to Christmas, as it was less than a fortnight away, and so she knew her family ought to be sending her letters and things soon.. It flew away quickly as she began to open the envelope and unfold the parchment. Oddly enough, it was a letter from her sister, addressed from Surrey. Her own home, with her parents and Tuney, was in the town of Brighton. It wasn't really a surprise that Petunia knew how to send letters back and forth with a wizard, as she'd been frequently in contact with Dumbledore while Lily was in school. What surprised her was that it was a very thin envelope, not even worth 3 pounds. The letter itself wasn't even half the page of parchment, and Petunia's letters to Lily were usually 3 or 4. Lily slipped her thin fingers into the lip of the envelope and opened it, unfolding her sister's letter. Her hands were trembling as she read, a hand reaching to cover her mouth. Lily's eyes slowly filled with tears, and her book lay forgotten on the floor of the library. A quiet whimper left her mouth, tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

Lily ran, searching through the floors of the ancient school for a place to sit and cry. Each of her hideaways throughout the castle was blocked off or occupied by snogging couples. As she finally reached the dungeons with no place left to go, she gave up. Lily mumbled a curse through her sobs and sat on the ground outside the Potions classroom, wiping her eyes. The more she tried to stop, the faster the tears came. She crumpled the letter in her hand and got up, running through the castle until she reached the 7th floor. Lily attempted to wipe her eyes enough to see, and she began pacing back and forth, once, twice, three times. The tapestry shifted and shimmered, and she wiped her eyes as she pulled open the door and entered the room.

Ever since James had shown her the Room of Requirement, Lily had wanted to go back and see what she could dream up to be inside. For now, all she needed was a safe space. She shut the door behind her and looked around at what the room had gifted her; there was a large cushy armchair the color of her curtains at home, an olive green rug that reminded her of her father's eyes, a small fireplace in the center of the far wall, and a stack of her favorite books by the side of the chair. In addition to that, there was a small table in the center of the room sporting a mug, a variety of tea bags and chocolate biscuits on a platter. A small mirror hung over the armchair in the corner of the room. Lily grabbed the blue blanket draped over the armchair and curled up on it, the letter still crumpled in her hand. She began to cry again, and a few moments later the sobs racked her body like waves hitting a beach. The tears flowed down her face, and she cried and cried. She even lost track of time.

Lily sighed, waving her wand and filling the mug with the water that was there, heating it and slipping a teabag into it. She went over to look at her reflection in the mirror, wiping her eyes. She stared at herself for a while. Biting her lip, she took her wand, waved it, and chopped her hair into a bob. Lily stared at herself in shock, then looked down at the dark red hair that lay on the ground under her. She looked back into the mirror and started to smile a little; this was a good change, she could feel it. Suddenly, the door burst open and there was James Potter, looking around wildly.

 _"LILY! Bloody hell."_ He ran over and swept her up his arms, biting his lip. She wriggled around a little and squeaked softly, and he let her down. "Where in the bloody- is this where you've been all day? I've been looking for y-" James paused in his rant, noticing the redness in her eyes, the choppy hair, and the crumpled letter on the floor. "What happened?" He sat in the armchair and pulled her into his lap as she told him, and she let him read the letter.

 _Dear Lily,_

 _I don't want you to come home anymore. I miss you, but you're too different now. You aren't the sister I used to have. I don't even know if I love you anymore. I told mummy and dad you wrote me and said you weren't going to come home anymore because you found a wizard family you loved more. They believed me, too. Mum cried. So please don't come home. I hope you stay safe, Lily._

 _But don't come back._

 _Petunia_

James shook his head, wrapping his arms around the redhead. He shushed her gently, stroking her hair, rocking them back and forth until she stopped crying again, then he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Lil, listen. Listen to me. I have a place for you, okay? My mum and dad have been dying to meet you anyway, and I- I really want you to stay. Sirius is practically living at my house anyway, to get away from his horrid mother. Please. Please?" His hazel eyes looked into hers questioningly, and Lily nodded slowly.

"Yes, James, I'd love to."

A week or so later, James's hand was so tight around Lily's it was nearly turning her fingers blue.

"James, my love, please relax."

He nodded, but didn't let go of her hand. They were standing outside Euphemia and Fleamont Potter's house, and James was so nervous. He had never introduced anyone to his parents before, let alone a girlfriend. (aside from the rest of the Maruaders, of course. Peter stayed over often, as the others did, and Euphemia loved to talk Herbology with him.) James cleared his throat and unlocked the door with a wave of his wand, stepping inside with Lily's hand still trapped in his.

"Mum, Dad, I'm home. Lily's with me, so try not to be too nutter." He shook his head, taking a low breath, and led his girl into their sitting room. She deposited her bag on the couch and looked around, smiling widely. Suddenly there was a squeal and they were both trapped in warm, unforgiving arms. Euphemia was laughing, showering Lily with compliments on her hair and her eyes and her lovely jumper and everything she could possibly give a compliment on. Euphemia Potter had dark brown eyes, while her husband had hazel, like James. Her silver-highlighted black hair was knotted in a bun atop her head, her wand stuck through it. Fleamont Potter had brown hair, round spectacles, and a very kindly smile. They welcomed Lily into their home, laughing and telling stories about a young James zipping around on a broom, and Lily almost forgot about the letter still folded in her pocket.


	10. Curious

"Oh, do it again Peter!" Lily's face lit up with her smile, her hair tied up in a small ponytail. She sat on the floor between James's legs, and his hand was on her shoulder. She was finally learning about how being an Animagus worked and Sirius and Peter were taking turns transforming in front of her. James had been adamant about her not being around it even after she found out, but Lily had been so persistent he gave up. So there they sat, and there was a light _whoosh_ of breeze as Peter's body went from a normal 16 year old chunky boy's to shrinking, shrinking down into that of a small, plump rat. They all laughed, and Sirius turned into his Animagus form to chase Peter around the room, barking. James leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, smiling.

"I'd show you mine, but I don't think a stag would fit very well into the common room unnoticed." He whispered, chuckling. She giggled, turning her head and kissing him on the lips. They sat and kissed until Sirius barked at them, and they broke apart laughing.

Later that night, after the four boys had gone up to their dormitory to sleep, Lily remained in the common room, a book in her hands and her feet tucked up underneath her. The fire was slowly dying, the sparks flicking out of the fireplace like lightning bugs in a dark swamp. A small motion near the end table at the edge of her armchair caught her eye, and she looked out of her peripheral vision to see a house elf slip a delicately folded piece of parchment onto the table and vanish. Lily set down her book after marking the page and lifted the note, her name scrawled on the front in delicate but rough penmanship. She unfolded it and read it, then sighed. She went up to her dorm, grabbed the jumper Molly had made her that Christmas, and pulled it on over her tshirt. Slipping her wand into the pocket of her sweats, Lily slid on her slippers and left the common room, the note resting under her book in the armchair she had previously occupied.

" _Lumos_." She whispered, walking down the fifth flight of stairs to the empty classroom he had asked her to meet him in. All the desks were shoved up against one wall, leaving half of the room clear. She wondered if this is where most of the seventh years dueled.

"Hullo, Lily." A soft, drawling voice came from the corner of the room, and Lily held her wand at arms length, illuminating the floor.

"Hello, Sev. Tell me again why couldn't this wait till tomorrow?"

"Because, Lil, I didn't want them corrupting y-"\

"Excuse me? They haven't _corru-"_

 _"DON'T interrupt me, Lily."_ Snape snapped, his greasy hair falling into his eyes. He pushed it back impatiently. "I know you've been hanging out with them, I know you're dating that- that _snake_ -"

"Interesting choice of word, Serverus." Lily growled, her green eyes alight with anger. "Speaking of snakes, I know you've fucking joined up with the _Death Eaters._ Jesus, Severus, what the hell kind of a club is it, anyway? Torturing cats, breaking people's fingers? How-"

"Don't you dare badmouth me, Lily, I know what I'm doing. It's going to be good!"

"How the _fuck_ can you even say that?! They've hurt people, Sev! They're BAD!"

"NO, LILY! YOU'RE BAD! THAT- THAT _POTTER_ IS B-"

"SEVERUS SNAPE, HOW CAN-

"NO, NO NO LILY _NO. I'M THE GOOD GUY, HE-"_

 _"No,_ Sev, you aren't. You and your little club are sh-"

Suddenly, a hand flew out from his robes and made contact with her face, sending Lily sprawling to the floor. He waved his wand, and she slammed into the wall, the wind knocked out of her. There were sure to be bruises all along her back the next couple weeks. She leaned up, holding her face, anger and fear clear in her expression.

"Lil-" Severus began, his face whiter and more afraid than usual. "I-"

"HOW DARE YOU!" She whipped out her wand and flung Snape into the air, sending him flying into the desks on the other side of the room. "You're so, so much darker than I thought. You're so far gone, you're never coming back." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And then you have the bollocks to _hit_ me!" She laughed, and Snape flinched back, crawling out from under the tables. His nose was bleeding. Lily stood shakily, brushing off her clothes and turned to face him again. With a flick of her wrist, a crack sounded through the air, and a large welt appeared on Snape's cheek. She did it again, this time to the other side. Lily snapped her hand, and Snape went skidding across the floor. With another wave of her wand, he was at her feet. He was blubbering and crying, snot running out of his nose. She kicked him in the face for good measure, a satisfying _crack_ sounding across the empty classroom. "Don't you ever talk to me again." Lily snapped, kicking his wand away from his hand and leaving the room.

She walked towards the Gryffindor common room, exhaustion taking over her body. The fight with Snape had sapped the rest of her energy, and she was ready to collapse in the armchair by the fire and sleep for a week. Lily was aching and sleepy, her eyelids feeling as though they weighed more than a hippogriff. She turned the corner to hike up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, and a pair of powerful arms caught her, holding her up as she nearly collapsed.

"My god, Lily, I've been looking for you _everywh- bloody hell,_ what happened to your eye?!" She looked up wearily into a pair of bespectacled, hazel eyes. Her boyfriend, James, looked her up and down before picking her up in his arms, holding her close. "I came downstairs to take a leak and you were gone, but I found the note- I was looking in every classroom I could- God, where the fuck is the little sleazeball, I'm going to _kill_ him!" Lily shook her head, mumbling.

"I would check the hospital wing if I was you.." She then passed out in James' arms, and he carried her to the common room, taking her up to his bed and laying her down to sleep for the night. Remus and Sirius were still awake, and their expressions went from surprise to anger in moments. Sirius lifted his wand and started to get up, but James waved him down.

"I think Lily did a real number on him. She's hurt, though. I think we should pay him a visit tomorrow, what do you say, lads?"

Remus was the first to nod, his hands shaking in anger.

The next day, before Lily woke, the four Marauders went down in the early light of the dawn to see Severus Snape in the hospital wing. Remus had hexed Sirius with a boils charm, and they were going to distract the young Madam Pomfrey so James and Peter could be alone with Snape. As the two boys hurried off with the healer, Peter snuck into Snape's section as his Animagus, then transformed to give James the signal. He pushed back the curtain, dropped his Invisibility Cloak at his feet and cracked his knuckles, glaring down at the Slytherin. Snape had a broken nose, three broken ribs, his ankle broken as well. His face was bruised, but James could still see the fear plain on his face as he and Peter approached. Peter sat on the edge of the cot and slapped Snape's broken ankle in a "patting" gesture.

"Hello, _mate._ Looks like you're healing well. Too well, I'd say." Peter hissed, his pudgy face red with anger. He smacked Snape's broken leg again, and he yelled out for Madam Pomfrey. James chuckled darkly.

"Oh, my dear Snivelus. She can't hear you, you know. My friend Peter here was smart enough to cast a _Muffliato_ before we came in here. He had the same idea I do, apparently. And Remus and Sirius want to pay their visit, too, oh yes." James aimed a careful jab at Snape's face, his fist cracking against the other's jaw. He shook his hand out, leaning down to Snape's ear. "If you _ever_ come near my future wife again, I swear to god, I will make sure you wish you had never been born." He nodded to Peter, and the young man transformed back into a rat, bit Snape for good measure, and scurried off. James pulled on his cloak and left, showing his foot to be sure Remus and Sirius that they were done.

James left the hospital wing, his hand throbbing in a very satisfying way.


	11. Peace

There were rumors of a dark war starting. It was the last half of their 6th year at Hogwarts, with just a few months to spare. A lot of parents had taken their students out of Hogwarts, including Marlene McKinnon's family (much to the young witches disdain.) The four Marauders and Lily were huddled in the common room, talking in quiet voices. Lily's face was healing nicely after her little _encounter_ with Snape last week, and she was wearing her favorite jumper ( _made with love, Molly_ was written on the inside. It was the first one she'd ever knitted, so it was lumpy and had a few gaps, but Lily adored it.) James had his arms wrapped around Lily and they were sitting in the same armchair, her legs tucked up against the arm of the chair and his stretched out over the floor. Sirius was laying in front of the fire, a pillow under his head, and Remus was sitting cross-legged at his feet, toying with his wand, twirling it through his fingers. Peter occupied the armchair opposite the couple's, his small, chubby face filled with worry.

"What do you think's gonna happen to us? To them, to anyone?" It was Sirius who finally broke the silence, his voice uneven. His question was met with silence. Remus looked grave, the light from the fire that flickered across his face making his scars look that much more gruesome. Peter's face was pale and sad, and he licked his thin lips. "What do you think is going to happen to my mother? To Regulus?" Sirius's older brother had just turned 18, and there were whispers that he had joined the dark side. The group of five sat in silence once more; nobody had an answer for him, as much as they may have wanted to.

There was a feeling like a bolt of lightning that went through James, and he groaned softly, putting his head in his hand. Lily glanced at him, concerned.

"Are you okay, James?" He nodded, waving her off.

"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry." Peter and the others gave James a worried look, but he waved them off. "Really, I'm alright. It was just a feeling, mates."

As soon as everyone else went to bed, James crept back downstairs and wrote a letter, having Remus's owl send it off towards his parent's house.

Gasping and chest heaving, James's stomach rolled and he retched, coughing and choking. He leaned against the doorway to the Room of Requirement and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his body shaking all over. Dragon Pox, the both of them. It'd killed them. Within a day, James's parents were both dead before the owl had even reached him at Hogwarts. He choked and retched again, his throat burning. James leaned back and slid down the wall, his hands shaking. There was a knock and James waved his wand, his hand barely leaving his lap.

"Lily." James croaked, the voice leaving his mouth not sounding like him at all. He knew she would find him there; she always did. It's where she went when she was upset, too. They both did. He glanced up from the sheet of parchment in his hand, expecting to see a wave of red hair, but instead saw a tall young man with scars covering his face and body, a slightly shorter young man with shaggy black hair and intelligent eyes, and a short stocky young man with his robes lightly grazing the floor. His girlfriend brought up the rear, glancing at him.

"I brought your family, James."

He choked back another sob, his chest aching with a searing hot pain, and it only hurt worse when he saw the tears running down Sirius's face near as fast as his own. Sirius had been his brother for almost 3 years. After his mother had kicked him out of Grimmauld Place, Euphemia and Fleamont had welcomed Sirius as if he'd been their own flesh and blood. They'd spent every holiday at the Potter's, and Peter and Remus usually joined them at some point or another. Last year, Lily had been there as well. His family.

Whispering softly to Remus, Lily left, the door shutting lightly after her. He and Peter sat across from James, but Sirius transformed into his Animagus form and laid down next to the now orphan, his shaggy dark head resting on James's thighs. It was like his entire world had just crumbled underneath his feet and he had no idea what he was going to do next. He ran his fingers mindlessly through Sirius's black fur, staring into space. Just the three men keeping him company made James feel just a tad bit like things would be okay.

Hours passed. None of them moved. None of them spoke. Lily came by once, to drop off food, followed by a house elf. None of the boys touched it. They all sat in silence, hardly looking up, hardly breathing. Sirius remained in James's lap, his body occasionally shaking against James's thigh. The Gryffindor Seeker continuously ran through Sirius's fur, as if that was the only thing he could do at the moment. Hell, maybe it was. After he wasn't sure how long had passed, though he was sure it was long after dark by now, Lily came in followed by none other than Minerva McGonagall. She gave James an incredibly sad look and approached Remus, gently laying a hand on the young man's shoulder. He nodded slowly and gestured to Peter, who stood up. Remus looked at Sirius, but the dog didn't move. He gently said the other's name, but Sirius didn't budge. Minerva shook her head slowly and guided the two boys away, leaving Lily in the room with James and his brother.

"Sirius, if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to change. And I'm going to put James in his pyjamas, too." The dog just laid his head down on the floor, off of James's lap. Lily changed into a loose tshirt and a pair of shorts, and then she crouched in front of James. "Listen to me, James. I know this is hard. I know you're numb. I can't imagine how it feels. But you have to change. And you're going to have to push through this." Her voice was calming but stern and serious. She wasn't about to let her best friend fall into a rabbit hole of despair. James didn't move, and Lily gently moved him so she was able to pull off his jeans. James still didn't move much, and while Lily was struggling to get his jeans off, Sirius pushed his nose under James's tshirt and tugged at it with his teeth. He reluctantly pulled it off, and Lily replaced it with a soft dark grey one. She then pulled him off his knees and walked with him to the bed, laying him down and then laying in front of him. Sirius curled up on a large pillow on the floor and fell asleep, snoring quietly. He didn't leave their side once that night.

James wrapped his arm around Lily and gave her a ginger kiss on the back of her neck and closed his eyes. His life felt a mess, his heart was in shambles, and everything was in chaos.

But there was always peace with her.


	12. Faith

It was the beginning of their final year at Hogwarts, and the rumors of a war brewing were becoming more than just rumors. People were finding families dead in their homes in the countryside, reports of the new symbol of the dark burned into the walls or the floors. The Dark Mark, people were calling it. It was a horrific thing, a skull with a snake wrapped around it and emerging from its mouth. Lily shivered and set down her copy of the Daily Prophet, nearly dunking it into her porridge. She pushed the bowl away and sighed; she wasn't very hungry anyway. James rested his hand against her lower back and rubbed his thumb in small circles, causing her to shiver.

"I just wish we could do something, you know? Anything." She mumbled, and he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I know, love. So do I."

Sirius glanced up. "We should make an army. I don't think that it's something most people would say no to, anyway. These blokes are ready to fight a war."

Remus rose an eyebrow, his expression unclear. "Yes but Padfoot, how do you expect a few 17 year olds to create an army?" Sirius grinned.

"Leave it to me and Peter. Meet us in the trophy room at half past noon. And bring all your friends."

"I hear his name is something weird, like French."

"I heard he was killing people in their sleep."

"I hear-"

"QUIET, people, quiet." Sirius stood up at the "podium" (which was really just an overturned desk), and blanched slightly; the turnout for his little meeting was... more than little. Remus, James, and Lily were all there, accompanied by Lily's friends. Marlene McKinnon and her sister, Alice Harper, Molly Prewett and her boyfriend Arthur, Pandora and Zen Lovegood, Frank Longbottom and his brother Algie, Amelia and Harriet Bones, Tina Lonet and her boyfriend, Fabian Prewett, and about 12 other people occupied the trophy room. There were a few professors, too, including Dumbledore and McGonagall. James laughed quietly at Sirius's sudden stage fright and Lily stomped on his foot. "E-Erm. I think we all know why we're here. There's a lot of talk about a lot of people dying, and I think we all want a part in trying to prevent it." A wave went through the crowd as heads bobbed up and down, nodding. Sirius cleared his throat again and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. James smirked and Remus winced slightly. He gripped the sides of the desk and continued. "Listen. I think we're all in agreement here when I say there's something that needs to be done. We need a big group of people who are willing to stand up for the people who can't. We need an order for people who want to help. Who want to fight. We need an order. An army."

The crowd murmured in agreement, and even Albus Dumbledore was nodding his head. Across the room, a surly young man by the name of Aberforth was also nodding, watching the professor with great (if unnoticed) interest. The room went quiet and people looked back up at Sirius, who licked his lips. "Are we all in agreement? Do we all agree to be a part of this order? If you don't want to be here, the door is right there." He waited. Nobody left. "Right then. We're here to stay, then. To fight. To protect. We are a rebellion. A force to be reckoned with. Something that will not die."

"A phoenix, if you will." Heads turned and looked at the woman who had spoken. Minerva McGonagall smiled. "A phoenix can succumb to fire and die, but will be born again from the ashes. That's what a rebellion does."

Sirius grinned. "Minerva, you beautiful, beautiful woman." He ignored the laughter and the protest from her. "That is indeed what we are. The Order of the Phoenix."

After the meeting was over and the students and professors had gone back to their common rooms or chambers, the four Marauders and Lily were all residing in the common room. That is, until, after a look from Peter, James stood and grabbed Lily's hand, pulling her from her chair.

"Come on, we've got something to do."

"Bloody hell, Potter, where are we going?" James shushed her and grinned, tapping his free hand anxiously against his leg.

"Just follow me, love. You'll see."

Remus winked at James as they left the common room, and Sirius gave a barking laugh. James pulled her down the stairs and they navigated the halls, laughing together.

The room was lit with candles, and the aroma of wildflowers and honey filled the air. There was candlelight flickering across the walls, and that same bed with the maroon blanket was in the back corner. The bookshelf was there, too, just as Lily had remembered it, lining the wall opposite the bed, and a big throw rug separated them. It wasn't very big, but it was still Lily's favorite room in Hogwarts. She laughed and turned to look at James, wondering what this was all about, but he wasn't standing. He was kneeling. Lily's heart thudded in her chest and she made a small choking sound; there was a silver ring with a small diamond held between his thumb and forefinger, extended out to her.

"Lily-"

"James Potter, we are 17 years old-"

"And I still love you. I still-"

"Yes. My answer is yes."

James's face lit up and he grinned, a genuine smile for the first time since his parents had died.

"Can I finish my speech? It was _really_ brilliant. Remus helped." She giggled and nodded, her own eyes shining with happiness.

"I still want to spend the rest of my life with you, Lil. I don't even know how long we might have left. I don't know. We could die tomorrow. I could die tomorrow. But that would mean I still get to spend today calling you my wife. I want to spend the rest of our lives together, whether it's 50 days or 50 years." He held up the ring. "In.." He swallowed, tears forming in his eyes. "In the same letter that gave me the news about my parents, this ring was in it. I saw it on my mother's hand for I can't even remember how long. They were folded in a piece of parchment that said _I love Lily. I don't know how much longer I'll be around, dear, so I want to give these to you. I want Lily to have them. She's the one, James, so don't you let her go."_ James's voice broke and he cleared his throat. "My mother thought you were important enough to have her wedding rings. So Lily Elizabeth Evans, would you change your name to Potter for me?"

Lily's laugh echoed across the room and she nodded, and James leapt off his feet and hugged her tightly, spinning her around before setting her on her feet and kissing her as hard as he could. He slid his mother's ring onto Lily's finger and it was a near perfect fit.


	13. Touch

"Where in the _bloody hell_ have you been?" Lily hissed, her green eyes narrowed to slits. "I was worried _sick_ about you. Do you know how- _you_ _could_ _have_ _been_ -" She took a deep breath and pulled James over to the armchair in the common room, her fingers in a vice-like grip around his wrist. There was a clock in the painting of the snoring woman that hung above the fireplace. It read 3:02 am.

 _"What?" Lily's voice sounded hollow._

 _"I got the letter last night." Molly said quietly, her voice trembling. Arthur laid an arm around her shoulders and bit his lower lip, looking saddened._

 _18 November, 1977_

 _Dear Molly,_

 _I hope you're doing well, Mol. I know that things have been pretty difficult_

 _these last few months, and a lot of bad things have happened that we could never_

 _be prepared for. I know that bad things happen every day, but not usually_

 _so personal. I have some terrible news. Darling, your brother has died._

 _Fabian and Tina Lonet were found dead in their home this morning. Love..._

 _Gideon was with them. I don't know how or why, but I do know that I want you to be safe._

 _They said Fabian fought 5 of those... Death Eaters at one time. They're being called heroes._

 _I don't think you should come home for Christmas this year. I want you to stay at Hogwarts with_

 _your friends. It isn't safe anymore. Mol, make sure that you keep your head up._

 _Keep fighting this fight, it's important. Stay safe; that is the most important thing._

 _I love you._

 _Mum_

 _Lily blinked away her own tears and enveloped her friend in a hug, rubbing her shoulders soothingly, mumbling soft, ecouraging words in her ear. Lily didn't know how much she believed what she was saying, if at all. Her own family hadn't written her; she didn't even know if they were safe._

"Lily, I was... a little busy." He winced as she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, the blood from the gash on his ribs soaking through his shirt. She gasped, her breath catching in her throat. Biting her lip, Lily pulled out her wand and whispered a quick _Accio,_ summoning a tiny vial from her dormitory. She uncorked it and pushed his shirt up, waving her wand to clear the blood away, and let a couple drops of dittany fall onto his open wound. James grimaced and licked his lips, and they both watched as it healed slowly, the skin growing together. When it was finished, there was a long, pink scar. She reached up and gingerly touched his face, and he took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm okay, Lily. I'm alright."

 _James was walking alongside his Quidditch mate Liam, playing with his Snitch when a hand clasped around his upper arm and pulled. Shaking, Sirius grabbed his shirt, nodded a quick hello to Liam, and yanked James into an empty corridor. He looked around and licked his lips, his hair wild and his eyes intense, the dark rings under them more intense than ever. "Prongs... I've made a terrible mistake." As James sat and listened to his best mate, the feeling of terror grew in his chest until he couldn't breathe. It was close to curfew, and James knew what he had to do._

 _He ran as fast as his hooves could carry him through the Forbidden Forest, his chest heaving. He ran towards the Whomping Willow and bowed his head, Peter scurrying towards it, hitting the knot in the tree so James could transform back into a human and sneak down the woody hallway. He heard growling and sobbing, and then a snarl. He quickly transformed again and galloped up the stairs, lunging in front of Remus, whose claws raked down his side. James grunted in pain, turning to face his best friend. Severus Snape cowered in the corner, sobbing._

 _"Over here, you bloody git!" Peter snapped, waving Snape over to him. James glanced over at them for a moment. "James, mate, be careful." The young stag nodded his great head and turned to face the werewolf in the corner, whose snarls had subsided to low growls and the occasional licking of the muzzle. James stayed with Remus, the gash on his ribs aching and throbbing. He stayed until Remus had fallen asleep, the young man now back to normal, his tired body laid on the bed in the corner. It was probably close to the early morning rather than late night, and the moon had set. Remus was safe another month._

"He _what_?" Lily asked, her voice colored with shock. She bit her lip hard, watching James. They sat in the large armchair together, and she had her legs draped over his lap, her feet tucked against the arm of the chair. "Oh, blimey." James nodded, his hazel eyes sad.

"He needed someone to blame, and Snivelus fits the bill. He's even got that bloody Mark on his arm." Lily winced slightly but continued to listen. "When Sirius found out Regulus was dead, he... well, he didn't tell any of us. I didn't even know until tonight. I mean, the letter said he died drinking some sort of... poison. He tried to stop him, Regulus tried to stop him. It wasn't enough. I don't know what they were after, but..." He drifted off, his brows bunched up in an expression of worry. "Snape's alright. Peter got him out, and I stayed with Remus. He's fine, too. Passed out underneath the tree, but he's alright."

Lily bit her lip, proccessing. "I thought you were dead. Or hurt." She shook her head as James opened his mouth to answer, likely to tell her that she was being ridiculous. "I'm not riduculous. Molly's brothers are dead. They were murdered last night, James. The whole lot of them. Fabian, Gideon, and Tina, too. It took 8 of those... those _Death Eaters_ to take them down. But they're gone." She hesitated. "What if they're going after members of the Order?"

James shook his head. "We will be safe. The people we love will be safe. I promise." He kissed her cheek and laid his head against her shoulder. After a few minutes, she sighed.

"How do you know?" Silence. "James?" There was a quiet snore, and she smiled slightly, closing her eyes, and fell asleep next to him. They slept through breakfast the next morning, and nobody bothered them.


	14. You Idiot

It was snowing hard, the wet snow hitting against the window. It was late February, and the world around Hogwarts had grown darker. An owl knocked at the glass, holding a letter. The wind howled outside the painted panes, and James winced as the cold cut across his cheeks, the owl flying in and shaking itself off.

"What the hell took you so long? James, I've bee-" At the expression on James's face, Lily's blood went cold. The smile dropped from her face like the gargoyle dropping off the Gryffindor tower last week. She licked her lips slowly. "Just tell me."

"Lily, the message was about the McKinnons. The whole family was killed last night. Nobody was spared."

Marlene was dead. Her whole family, gone. Like it was nothing. One of Lily's closest friends, murdered in cold blood. Suddenly everything came rushing towards Lily at once; the way Marlene had laughed right before she'd kiss Alice; the way her long black curls swung around her shoulders and nearly hit her in the face every time she was angry enough to whirl around dramatically; the way she was always so sassy and overly hilarious around Sirius; the way she cried when she thought nobody but Alice was awake in the dormitory. Oh, god. Alice.

"Does Alice know?" It didn't sound like a question. In fact, it didn't sound like Lily's voice at all. The tone that came from her lips was flat and emotionless, her heart barely thudding in her chest. Lily couldn't really string together a coherent thought besides those of Marlene. Mar, they called her. One of her best mates. Was dead. At the hands of a murderer. Her entire family was dead. The Prewetts were dead, and now Marlene and her family were gone, too. How many more people she loved would die? James shook his head and licked his lips.

"I don't know."

"I have to tell her, then." Lily's voice still didn't sound like her.

"Lil-" James pulled her closer to him, and his voice cracked.

"God, you're an idiot. You idiot." She bit back her tears, curling her fingers tightly in his hair. He wrapped strong arms around her body, mumbling words of safety and kindness to her. "God. I have to go tell Alice." James made a sound of protest as she pulled away but she shrugged him off. "I'll be back."

Alice made a sound that Lily couldn't even comprehend, and Frank (her best friend, especially since Mar had been pulled from school) pulled her close to his chest, slowly rubbing her upper back. She sobbed soundlessly, her entire body racking with the force of her crying. Frank ran a hand through her long brown hair, holding her head against his shoulder as Alice clung to him, looking like she was going to collapse at any moment. Lily took a couple steps back and turned away from them, noticing people watching her. By now, more people had gotten owls and been told; by that time, the whole school had to know.

Lily ignored the stares she got as she continued down the hall towards Gryffindor Tower, her fingers tingling with something other than pain. She was furious. She was hateful. This war wasn't fair. Nothing was fair. Nobody was safe. Nobody was protected. Who had the right to promise that everything would be alright?

" _You swore that they would be safe! You PROMISED, James! You PROMISED the people I love would be safe! And Marlene is DEAD!"_ Lily screamed, tears rolling down her cheek, her hair coming undone from its plait. _"YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME, JAMES POTTER, AND I DON'T FORGIVE YOU. MY FRIEND IS DEAD. HOW DARE YOU MAKE A BLOODY PROMISE WE BOTH KNEW YOU COULD NEVER HAVE KEPT!"_ Now, the whole common room was staring at them, and James had a look on his face that was a cross between grief-stricken and angry. He knew this was just her, this was just the pain screaming at him, calling him a liar. But the way the ring glinted on her finger and her green eyes stared at him with hatred made him feel like his Lily was hexing him over and over, and everything she said was all her words. He knew she didn't mean it. She didn't mean it. _She doesn't mean it._ James felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped, ready to draw his wand; it was only Sirius, looking at him solemnly. He and Marlene had had a fling or two in past summers, and they'd been fairly close mates as well. He shook his head and glanced meaningfully towards Lily- _let her go for now._ The older boy nodded and watched as his fiancée walked through the portrait hole and stormed off, her hair trailing behind her in waves. After the common room cleared out and most students had gone up to their dormitories, the four Marauders remained in the common room to watch the dying fire, wondering how many more lives had to be lost before they were either all taken or they won the war? Bloody hell, when would it end? Would it ever? Or would the lives of everyone they cared for just disintegrate before everyone's eyes? James hung his head, his hair wild from running his hands through it repeatedly. There wasn't a trace of any sort of smile or joke on anyone's face, and the air was tense and sour.

Pandora's hands stroked through Lily's hair, the sobbing girl's head resting in her lap. Shushing Lily quietly, Pandora cast a Silencing Charm over her bunk so none of her fellow Hufflepuffs would be bothered by the sobbing. Most of them were awake anyway; the Death Eaters were going across the country slaughtering families, especially those of the Order. Nobody felt safe enough to sleep.

"I hate him... I hate him, he lied, I hate him." Lily choked out, her sobs catching in her throat over and over, her eyes bloodshot and the dark circles under them more prominent in the candlelight. Pandora shushed her best friend again, using her wand to rub circles against Lily's shoulderblades while her hands continued to comb through her hair, twisting the should-length strands.

"You don't hate him. You don't hate him. Don't be an idiot. You hate the situation. Darling, don't say you hate him. You do love him."

"No, no no no... Mar, I love Marlene." Lily whimpered, her body trembling with exhaustion. She'd been holding in her own feelings all day, talking to people, answering questions, staring into space. She hadn't allowed herself to feel, and now everything was washing over her at once. Pandora wiped at her own eyes, letting the tears run down her cheeks and fall into Lily's hair.

"I know, love. I know. So did I."

"I hate him. Blimey, I hate him." Lily's voice broke and she continued to sob until she couldn't anymore, slowly crying herself to sleep. Her arms were wrapped around Pandora's thigh, and Lily's head remained in her lap long into the night. When she was sure the other girl wouldn't wake, Pandora slowly took off Lily's shoes and skirt, leaving her in her underwear and shirt. She pulled the other girl's legs underneath her own blankets and wrapped her arms around her best friend, burying her face in the back of Lily's shirt and they slept together that night, keeping the other safe.


	15. Caught

\- NSFW warning for this chapter- THERE IS SEX. If you don't want to read it, simply skip it! ️ -

"Potter, what the fuck do you want." Lily snapped, glaring daggers at her boyfriend future husband. "Honestly, please, I'm really curious. What on earth could you possibly want from me right now?" Before he could stop himself, James smirked. Lily's eyes widened in surprise, and she scowled at him. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"It's not my fault, you planted a seed." He smirked wider, blinking slowly at her from behind his square glasses, hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. And something else.

Humming lightly, James smacked Sirius lightly on the shoulder and the young Seeker walked away, untying his Gryffindor tie as he went. Leaning up against one of the columns in the corridor outside the library, he waited for Lily. He knew she would be there. Seconds later, a young, vibrant, red-headed woman pushed him up against the wall behind them, her hands hugging his shoulders and her lips locked onto his. Lily pulled away after a few moments of kissing him and mumbled on his lips, her hands small against his arms. "I'm still bloody ticked off at you. Prat." Pulling her alongside him, James led her further along the hallway until they reached a section of the castle that was mainly uninhabited.

James shoved her up against the wall, his breath hot against her face. She kissed him as hard as she could, her fingers locked in the front of his shirt and her teeth biting down on his lower lip. James groaned quietly and Lily smirked, slipping her tongue past his lips and moved her fingers to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them as hastily as she could. James pushed his fingers through her hair and used one hand to cup the back of her neck, using his thumb to trace her jaw before tilting her head up. He slowly started to kiss down her jaw, his mouth open and his breath warm against her skin.

James nipped lightly at the skin and smirked slowly as a whimper fell from Lily's lips. She groaned softly and began untucking his shirt from his pants, pulling hastily at the fabric before sliding her hands along his back, lightly fingering the muscles there. He wasn't jacked like a wrestler or anything, but he had layers of muscle. Between the Quidditch playing and the morning jogs with Remus, James Potter had some serious bulk layering his body. He had broad shoulders, lightly sculpted arms, and there (but not sharply cut) abs. Lily thought he was more breathtaking than the gods she read about in Astronomy.

A soft gasp escaped her as James's slim fingers trailed themselves up her spine, his fingertips tracing the bones. She couldn't help but arch her back, slowly licking her lips. Her stomach lightly brushed against his and she bit her lip, watching him. His expression was needy and almost desperate, but she could see the deep love, the desire he felt for her in his eyes. Lily could tell how deeply he loved her, and that just made her all the more attracted to him. James's fingers slipped beneath the hem of her skirt and she leaned back against the hard brick, her lower lip caught between her teeth, her eyes fluttered closed. He pressed a thin finger against her clit and Lily let out a strangled sort of gasp, lightly digging her nails into James's waist. He smirked, leaning forward to continue kissing her neck as he slowly moved his fingertip in circles, rubbing against her slowly. Quiet moans filled the hallway as he continued, gradually getting faster. Lily groaned and rocked her hips forward, panting slightly, her lip bitten hard. James slipped a second finger against her and moved them down, closer to her heat, and she gritted her teeth.

"Fuck." Lily hissed softly, pushing her hips forward a little more. James smirked, taking the hint, and slowly slipped a thin finger against her, gently pushing it inside before fully pushing it into her, letting her adjust before slipping his second finger inside. Lily's low, heated moans told him he was doing something good, and he slowly stared to rock his fingers back and forth. Whimpering quietly, she leaned forward so he could go deeper, sloppily kissing his neck. Lily bit down lightly whenever he did something right and he groaned softly, his other hand tightening against her hip as he slid his fingers in and out of her, her folds slowly getting wetter. She grunted lightly as his palm brushed against her clit and she whispered in his ear, her voice low and husky. "I want you to fuck me, James, right here. Right now, god, please right now."

James smirked wider and withdrew his hand, Lily's fingers fumbling at his belt. He gripped at her hips hard as she pushed his boxers partway down his legs, not even bothering to go all the way. She slid her panties down her thighs slowly and James bit his lip, pulling his cock out slowly. Pushing up her skirt with one hand, he stepped closer and positioned himself properly, then slowly moved his hips forward. As he pushed inside her, Lily's moans echoed off the brick halls and she gasped as James pulled her close to him, lifting her and pushing into her. She whimpered and moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.

"Oh, god, Lily." He groaned into her ear, using one arm to hold her up as best he could while using the other to prop them up against the wall as he fucked her, his breath hot against the crook of her neck. He moaned as she started to pull at his hair, and he began to push his hips against hers faster. Lily groaned out his name, pulling his body close against hers as his thrusts got faster and rougher, and she started to feel the heat crawl up her spine.

"Fuck, I-" She mumbled, and James nodded. She rolled her hips into his and arched her back, gasping, her moans slowly growing higher in pitch as he continued his motions, and she gripped his shoulders tightly, raking her nails across the skin as she came. James moaned lowly and growled a little as he followed close behind, thrusting a couple more times as he pulled out and set her down gently, gasping.

"Lily..." He panted lowly, gently brushing hair from her eyes. She smiled up at him, her own breath coming in pants.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" None other that Argus Filch stood in front of them, holding a lantern that cast an eerie yellow glow over the three of them.

"Oh, my god." Lily choked out, her face a brilliant shade of red. James leaned forward and laughed against the crook of her neck, his breath ghosting over her skin, now freshly covered in hickeys. His face was redder than hers as they pulled apart, quickly dressing and gathering the remainder of their clothing off of the floor.. and the desk.. and the bookshelves. They scurried past Filch and as they ran into the corridor outside the study where they'd been caught, their laughter bounced off the halls as they made their way up to the seventh floor.

Opening the door to the Room of Requirement, James hurried Lily inside and her fingers were curled in his open shirt before he even had the door closed. James laughed and pulled her into a kiss, smiling on her lips. "Lily."

"What." She mumbled, not really caring at the moment about what he had to say, just about making him feel good like he'd done for her. Gently, James squeezed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, and she knew that wasn't really going to happen. "I'm-" He lifted a hand to cup her face and pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips, shaking his head slowly.

"Lily, you shut me out for a week and a half. We hardly talked. We're supposed to be getting married, Lil, and you can't even talk to me. Let me in, god, I'm begging you. Please, love." His voice was quiet and close to breaking, and his hazel eyes bore into her green ones like nothing else could. She licked her lips and broke eye contact, but nodded. Just barely.

"You promised me that our friends would be safe, and three days later... Marlene was-" Lily swallowed. "Marlene and her family was found dead. They were dead. And it nearly-" She sighed quietly. "It nearly felt like a lie, what you told me. I was angry at you. I blamed you for lying to me, even though- no, James, listen." Lily licked her lips, watching the apprehensive expression on the younger man's face. "Even though I knew it wasn't true I just... needed someone to blame." Her voice broke, and James wiped the anxious, sad look off his face and pulled his girl into his arms, kissing her forehead gently.

"I know, darling, I know." He enveloped her in his arms, pressing his lips against her skin and just slowly rocked her left and right, gently twisting their bodies together while she cried. James pushed a hand through her hair once more; though this time, it was anything but sexual. His palm cradled the back of her head as he quieted her, his fingers curling lightly in the deep auburn strands. Lily's cries quieted and she sniffled quietly, but she didn't lift her head from James's chest.

"I'm sorry, I... I was so horrid to you. I don't deserve you." She mumbled, and James chuckled softly before using a slim finger to tilt her chin up, making her gaze connect with his.

"Lily, I love you. Even at your worst, at your most horrid, at your silliest. I will love you. And I'm glad to spend my life with you." He said quietly, and James kissed her slowly, proving to her he meant just that.


End file.
